Friday, Sept. 30
No. 10 Northwest Missouri State at No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney, 6 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Oct. 1
No. 10 Northwest Missouri State at Fort Hays State, 3 p.m. | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
A battle for first place in the MIAA standings will begin this week's action for the No. 10-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball squad.
 
The Bearcats will travel to Kearney, Neb., to take on No. 6-ranked University of Nebraska-Kearney. The Bearcats and Lopers will get underway at 6 p.m. at the Health & Sports Center. The Lopers and Bearcats rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the MIAA in hitting percentage. UNK leads the league at .285, while the Bearcats are hitting .248.
 
Nebraska-Kearney holds a 22-4 lead in the all-time series with Northwest. Northwest posted a 3-1 win at Kearney last season, marking the Bearcats' first win in Kearney in the all-time series.
 
Northwest is 4-2 against ranked foes this season, including a mark of 2-1 against top-10 ranked opponents.
 
Northwest vs. Top-25 Ranked Foes in 2022
W, 3-1 at No. 14 West Texas A&M (8/27)
W, 3-0 vs. No. 16 Angelo State (9/2)
L, 3-1 at No. 4 MSU Denver (9/2)
W, 3-1 vs. No. 3 Western Washington (9/3)
L, 3-2 at No. 18 Central Missouri (9/7)
W, 3-1 at No. 2 Washburn (9/17)
 
Northwest and UNK will enter Friday's match each riding five-game win streaks. Northwest's only loss in MIAA action came at Central Missouri on Sept. 7, while UNK's lone league setback came at Washburn on Sept. 10.
 
MIAA Standings
Northwest Mo. St.      5-1
Neb.-Kearney              5-1
Central Missouri         4-1
Central Oklahoma       5-2
Washburn                   4-2
Pittsburg State            4-3
Newman                     2-4
Missouri Western       1-4
Fort Hays State           1-5
Emporia State             1-5
Missouri Southern      0-4
 
The Bearcats will wrap up the weekend trip with a Saturday match at 3 p.m. at Fort Hays State.
 
Northwest owns a 23-8-1 lead over Fort Hays State in the all-time series between the two schools. Northwest has defeated Fort Hays State in nine straight matches. Northwest is 8-3 all-time in Hays, Kan.
 
Northwest is 10-1 this season when winning the first two sets. Northwest went 15-2 last season when taking the first two sets of a match. Since the start of the 2018 season, Northwest is 59-6 when winning the first two sets.
 
Northwest ranks No. 4 in kills (13.34kills/set) and blocks (2.00 blocks/set) in the MIAA.
 
Jaden Ferguson ranks No. 6 in the league in hitting percentage (.339) with 140 kills. Ferguson is hitting .368 with 75 kills in six MIAA matches. In MIAA matches, Ferguson ranks No. 6 in total kills (75).
 
Kristen Ford averaged 4.17 digs per set as Northwest secured a pair of sweeps over Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern. Ford notched 13 digs against Pittsburg State and 12 digs vs. Missouri Southern. Ford ranks No. 8 in the MIAA in digs per set (4.38). In MIAA matches only, Ford ranks No. 6 in the league in digs per set (5.10). Ford earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 19.
 
Setter Alyssa Rezac averaged 11.67 assists per set and 2.50 digs per set in leading Northwest to a 2-0 week with wins over Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern. Rezac dished out 33 assists and served up three aces in a 3-0 sweep of Pittsburg State at home on Wednesday. Rezac added eight digs and a block assist vs. the Gorillas. Northwest hit .327 against PSU. Rezac secured 37 assists, seven digs and a kill in Northwest's 3-0 win Saturday at Missouri Southern. The Bearcats hit .336 vs. the Lions. Rezac ranks No. 5 in the MIAA in assists per set (9.70) and that bumps up to No. 2 in MIAA matches only (11.52 assists/set). She ranks No. 2 in the league in service aces per set (0.44). She is tops on the team in service aces (22). She has posted five double-doubles this season and 21 in her Bearcat career. Rezac is a two-time MIAA Setter of the Week award recipient this season.
 
Payton Kirchhoefer returned to the court against Washburn on Sept. 17 after having missed three games with an injury. Kirchhoefer picked up a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs in Northwest's 3-1 win over previously unbeaten and No. 2-ranked Washburn. Kirchhoefer averaged 4.67 kills per set, hit .333 and averaged 1.17 blocks per set as Northwest recorded a pair of 3-0 sweeps of Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern. Kirchhoefer landed 14 kills and hit .393 at home in a victory over Pittsburg State. She added five blocks assists, nine digs and a service ace against the Gorillas. Kirchhoefer also recorded 14 kills and hit .286 on the road against Missouri Southern. She posted a double-double with 10 digs. She also tallied two blocks against the Lions. Kirchhoefer leads the Bearcats in scoring at 3.63 points per set.
 
Double-Doubles (2022)
Alyssa Rezac               5
Jaden Ferguson           4
Payton Kirchhoefer     4
Olivia Dir                     2
Kelly Wiedemann        2
 
Active Career Double-Doubles
Hallie Sidney               25
Alyssa Rezac               21
Jaden Ferguson           5
Payton Kirchhoefer     4
Olivia Dir                     3
Kelly Wiedemann       2
 
Graduate Hallie Sidney secured her 1,000^th career kill in Saturday's 3-0 sweep of the Missouri Southern Lions. Sidney has collected 1,003 career kills as a Bearcat. Sidney has played in 102 career matches and 349 career sets for the 'Cats. Sidney is averaging 2.87 kills per set in her collegiate career, which ranks her No. 9 on the Northwest's all-time kills per set chart.
 
Northwest Career Kills Per Set
1. Maddy Bruder (2015-18)                3.82 (1,654-433)
2. Abby Sunderman (1997-2000)       3.36 (1,715-510)
3. Diann Davis (1994-97)                    3.35 (1,740-518)
4. Sarah Trowbridge (2003-06)          3.25 (1,321-407)
5. Jill Quast (1997-2000)                     3.14 (1,638-521)
6. Allison Hyland (2002-04, 06)          3,08 (927-301)
7. MacKenzie Heston (2003-06)         3.07 (1,456-474)
8. Heidi Hoffert (2001-02)                  2.99 (639-214)
9. Hallie Sidney (2017-pres.)              2.87 (1,003-349)
10. Jennifer Monson (1998-99)          2.83 (603-213)
 
Abby Brunssen ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in blocks per set (1.13). Brunssen had a season-high nine blocks against Angelo State. Brunnsen leads the Bearcats with 52 blocks this season, that includes four solos and 48 assisted blocks.
 
Avery Kemp ranks No. 7 in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.332). Kemp has posted 111 kills on the season. Kemp hit .611 with 12 kills to provide the offensive spark against the Lions. Kemp's .611 hitting percentage ranks as the sixth-best single-match attack percentage in a three-set match in Bearcat history.
 
Head coach Amy Woerth is in her 11th year at the helm of the Bearcat volleyball program. Woerth has compiled an overall mark of 172-118. Woerth ranks No. 3 in coaching victories in program history with 172 – trailing only Sarah Pelster (199 wins from 1991-2002) and Pam Stanek (176 wins from 1977-1981). 
 
Northwest Volleyball Coaching Victories
1. Sarah Pelster (1991-2002) - 199
2. Pam Stanek (1977-81) - 176
3. Amy Woerth (2012-current) - 172
4. Susie Homan (1982-84) - 105
5. Peggy Voisin (1987-90) - 64
6. Anna Tool (2006-09) - 56
7. Cathie Schulte (1985-86) - 37
8. Lori Slight (2003-05) - 35
9. Jessica Reinhart (2010-11) - 29
10. Theresa Hospodarski (1975-76) – 12
 
Northwest Volleyball Coaching Win Percentage
1. Pam Stanek (1977-81) - .655 (174-93-7)
2. Susie Homan (1982-84) - .642 (105-58-2)
3. Amy Woerth (2012-current) - .593 (172-118)
4. Jessica Reinhart (2010-11) - .475 (29-32)
5. Sarah Pelster (1991-2002) - .468 (199-226)
6. Anna Tool (2006-09) - .415 (51-72)
7. Cathie Schulte (1985-86) - .411 (37-53)
8. Peggy Voisin (1987-90) - .349 (64-114)
9. Lori Slight (2003-05) - .354 (35-64)
10. Theresa Hospodarski (1975-76) - .237 (12-43-4)
 
Woerth and the Bearcats earned the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021. Northwest set a school record with 17 MIAA victories last season. The previous best of 14 was set in 2018.
 
Northwest is ranked No. 10 in this week's AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Northwest has been ranked 42 times in its program history. Northwest set the program's highest ranking at No. 3 in the Oct. 25, 2021, poll. Northwest has been ranked in the AVCA Top-10 13 times.

Northwest in AVCA Top 25
Sept. 19, 2016 – No. 22
Sept. 26, 2016 – No. 20
Oct. 3, 2016 – No. 18
Oct. 10, 2016 – No. 17
Oct. 17, 2016 – No. 17
Oct. 24, 2016 – No. 16
Oct. 31, 2016 – No. 21
Nov. 7, 2016 – No. 25
Nov. 14, 2016 – No. 25
Sept. 9, 2019 – No. 18
Sept. 16, 2019 – No. 15
Sept. 23, 2019 – No. 11
Sept. 30, 2019 – No. 10
Oct. 7, 2019 – No. 10
Oct. 14, 2019 – No. 14
Oct. 21, 2019 – No. 14
Oct. 28, 2019 – No. 14
Nov. 4, 2019 – No. 14
Nov. 11, 2019 – No. 19
Nov. 18, 2019 – No. 20
Nov. 25, 2019 – No. 21
Dec. 16, 2019 – No. 25
2021 Preseason – No. 17
Sept. 6, 2021 – No. 8
Sept. 13, 2021 – No. 12
Sept. 20, 2021 – No. 13
Sept. 27, 2021 – No. 13
Oct. 4, 2021 – No. 10
Oct. 11, 2021 – No. 9
Oct. 18, 2021 – No. 6
Oct. 25, 2021 – No. 3
Nov. 1, 2021 – No. 5
Nov. 8, 2021 – No. 5
Nov. 15, 2021 – No. 4
Nov. 22, 2021 – No. 4
Dec. 18, 2021 – No. 12
2022 Preseason – No. 12
Aug. 29, 2022 – No. 10
Sept. 5, 2022 – No. 12
Sept. 12, 2022 – No. 13
Sept. 19, 2022 – No. 11
Sept. 26, 2022 – No. 10
 
The Bearcats came in as the favorites in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll. Northwest received three first-place votes and edged out three other schools in a tight vote among the league coaches.
 
2022 MIAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1) Northwest Missouri – 90 Points [3 First-Place Votes]
T2) Nebraska Kearney – 85 Points [3 First-Place Vote]
T2) Washburn – 85 Points [3 First-Place Vote]
T2) Central Missouri – 85 Points [2 First-Place Vote]
5) Central Oklahoma – 60 Points 
6) Pittsburg State – 56 Points
7) Fort Hays State – 44 Points
8) Missouri Western – 43 Points
9) Emporia State – 21 Points 
10) Missouri Southern – 20 Points
11) Newman – 16 Points
*Coaches Are Not Allowed To Vote For Their Own Team
  
For the ninth straight year and 16th time overall, the Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team earned the United States Marine Corps/American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award. The Bearcat volleyball team recorded a 3.57 cumulative team grade point average during the 2021-22 season. Northwest was one of 148 NCAA Division II schools to gain the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award this year.